On Building Community

We've been out here in this small town for just over 3 years, and I think it took about 2 years to really start feeling like we've found a good community of friends. There's a group of us - 5 families, so 10 adults and 14 kids, and we get together about every 6 weeks or so. One family had a Super Bowl party today. It's pretty much as chaotic as you'd imagine, the kids range in age from 11 to 2.5. But they all get along really well, and the adults all get along really well, and it's getting easier and easier as we build this history of hanging out. I didn't have anything like this growing up, and I love that our kids will have it. I love the idea of seeing these kids grow up - together. One woman commented on thinking about going to the kids' weddings some day. It's really really neat.

It's hard as an adult, to find your place in a community. Also, my personality is such that I've never really been part of an clique. I tend to have friends from really different parts of my life, and move from group to group. I've been feeling a bit...unsettled about it lately, so it was SO nice to have a great time laughing, hanging out, talking, with a group of people that I'm coming to feel really close with.